Take-off mechanism



Feb. 18, 1941. o. D. McFARLAND Erm. Re. 21,718

TAKE-OFF MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 29, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet l VTLWMZQ @MW www5@ Feb. 18, 1941. o. lj, MGFARLAND Erm. Re. 21,718

l TAKE-OFF MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 29, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ImeFeb. 18, 1941. o, D, MQFARLAND E -l-AL Re. 21,718

TAKE-OFF MECHANISM original Filed sept. 29. '19:57

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 wm@ @g55/@ Feb. 18, 1941. o. D, MCFARLAND Erm. Re.21,718

TAKE-OFF MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Sept. 29, 1937Reisaued Feb. 18, 1941 PATENT OFFICE TAKE -OFF MECHANISM Owen D.McFarland and Alfred 0. Mickelson, Chicago, lll.. assigner: to RoofingMachinery Mfg. Co., Chicago, 1li., a corporation of Illinois OriginalNo. 2,143,379, dated February 2l. 1939,

Serial No. 166,431, September 29, 1937. Application for reissue October25, 1340, Serial No.

17 Claims.

'Ihe present mechanism -has been designed particularly to operate upon atraveling sheet of roofing material shortly after it has passed througha pair of cutting rollers, the purpose being to separate and remove thesevered shingles,

whether of single or multiple units, for distribu` tion to a pluralityof delivery stations. In lthe description to follow reference will bemade to a machine which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings asva suggestive embodiment of our invention.

In the manufacture of rooilng shingles, it is important that means beprovided for severing the sungles from a slitted sheet, and for removingthe shingles' as severed to a plurality of stations preliminary tobundling. For doing this a take-olf mechanism is employed. It should beso constructed as to be adaptable toexlsting roofing machines so as tooperate in conjunction therewith; and it should be speedy and certain inits operation so that the speed of travel of the roofing materialthrough .the machine need not be retarded and so that the severedshingles which are taken off and deposited in different stacks will bepiledevenly to facilitate tying and removal. These as well as variousother objects and advantages are all realized by the mechanism of ourinvention of which a preferred embodiment is illustra-ted in theaccompanying drawings in the manner following:

Figure l is a plan view of the delivery end-of a rooting machine towhich is operatively connected the take-olf mechanism of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof Fig, 3 is an enlarged detail insection taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the shingles in processof being separated With the details of manufacture of the roofing' sheetthis invention is not concerned; it operates merely in conjunction withthe delivery end of such a machine which includes suitable slittingrolls (not shown) for severing the sheet S, except for slight connectingwebs, into shingles a, b, c. d

(Cl. 13d-84.5)

of single or multiple units (see Fig. 4) which are disposed in as manydiiierent lanes lengthwise of the sheet. After leaving the cutting rollsthe sheet continues its advance to be acted upon by the several agenciesnow to be described.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the sheet first passes between upper and lowerfeeding rolls III and ii, respectively. Upon leaving these rolls thesheet advances on to a support which comprises a plurality of endlessconveyor belts I2 which 'travel around rolls Il and Il. The former ofthese rolls is positioned proximate to the feeding rolls so as tosupport the sheet immediately upon its emerging therebetween. The otherroll Il, however, is located a desired distance away therefrom,preferably close to a pair of adjustable pulling rolls I5 and i6 betweenwhich the sheet is advanced. The pulling rolls are journaled forrotation within a frame I1 which furnishes a guide for blocks IB eachforming a bearing for the upper roll. As by a screw-threaded shaft I9operable with a hand wheel 2l the upper roll may be adjusted toward orfrom the lower roll whereby to exert a desired pressure upon the sheetwhich is passing therebetween.

Driving connections between the several rolls just described may beprovided as illustrated in Fig. 1. From a source of power (not shown) atransmission belt2l is run over a pulley 22 on the shaft of the roll Iiwhereby to produce rotation thereof. From a concentric pulley 23 a belt24 is run over a smaller pulley 25 which is mounted on the shaft of thepulling roll I6 to transmit rotation thereto. Over a second pulley 26concentric with the pulley 25 is trained a belt 21 which passes around apulley 2B mounted on the shaft of the roll I l. By this system oftransmission the belt 2l rotates both the feeding and pulling rolls, thelatter, however, at a somewhat Ahigher peripheral speed; the endlessconveyor belts whichtrain over the rolls I3 and I4 are also moved tosupport on their upper runs the sheet which is required to pass throughthe two sets of rolls just referred to.'

At a point intermediate of the feeding and pulling rolls is positioned apair of idler rolls 30 and 3l. These rolls are mounted for rotation andadjustment, one with respect to the other, within a pair of supportingframes 32 which is itself adjustable lengthwise of the machine. Asshown, the upper roll is journaled within bearings 33 adapted to bevertically adjusted as by means of a. screw 34 and hand Wheel 35 wherebyto exert a'variable pressure on the sheet at this poi`nt.z.;e The lowerroll 3l underlies the upper run of the 5sendlessbelnsotnstprsssunexerabytnsupperrollisdirectedagainstthesheetwhilesupportedupon the belts. The frames 8! which mount the idler rolls are slidinglyrested at each end upon a siderail Il of the machine bed (see Fig. 8)being guided betweerrlinsaced barsell` and ll. the latter of which is fowith withvwhich meshes a pinion Il upon a cross shaft Il having anoperating hand wheel Il. The position of the cooperating idler rolls mayaccordingly Y be shifted toward or from either of the other pair ofrolls previously described.

Upon leaving the feeding rolls the slitted sheet is tensioned by reasonoi' the greater peripheral speed of rotation of the pulling rolls.In'conse` quence, the sheet tends to separate into individual shinglesa, b, c and d (see Fig. 4) along its preslitted lines, designated as :s(longitudinal) and y" (transverse). From and after this moment theindividual shingles, either completely or partly separated. are advancedprocessionally through diversins paths to a plurality of deliverystations. During this stage of their travel separation of the shinglesfrom each other is completed. 'Ihe mechanism for attending to theseoperations will now be described.

At the delivery end of the machine are positioned spaced upright framemembers ll each 'f mounting an upper bracket I8 between which issupported a cross shaft l1 to which are pivoted in side by siderrelation a plurality of handle.

levers `Il each having spaced pairs of spaced shoulders I9 and l0..Proximate to these shoulders are opposite faces of a pair of verticallyadjustable bars il each having in one face a shallow notch ilwhereinAthe shoulder 49 may engage to lock the two bars in a definite operativepomtion; Between the lower end of each pair-of bars is rotativelysupported a grooved sheave B around which runsjan endless narrow pullingand delivery belt 5I vwhich rides within one of the grooves of one oftheupper pulling rolls Il. Each belt is Vmaintained taut by an extensiblestrut which, as shown. comprises two' telescoping tubes Il and I8. oneyoked for pivotal connection with a pair of bars 5| andthe other for alike connection with a shaft 5! which is supported-fixedly between twobrackets Il) extending from the frame i1, a compression spring Ilexerting-op- -posite thrusts against the two tubes whereby to maintainthe strut in an extended condition such that the belt remains taut. Eachpair of bars 5I may be equipped with a lifting handle l2. as shown. Tokeep the grooves of the sheaves and 'feeding rolls clear of grit andforeign matter, we y provide small blades 63 one extending within eachsuchgroove as shown best in Fig. 6.

` t each pulling and delivery belt assembly just described, viz. thevertically adiustable bars and supported sheave together with extensiblestrut, we provide av duplicate assembly in a lower 'position which isproximate thereto. Inasmuch as` the parts of this lower pulling anddelivery belt assembly are the same, we have designated them by likereference numerals with an l added. "The lower` pulling and deliverybelts train over the lower pulling roll Il so that a shingle passingbetween these rolls is received between jthe'lowle'r rim of the upperbelt and the upper run of the lower belt. 'l'he operative position oftwo associated pairs of bars li and ill (one above the other below) lssuch that their respective sheaves will almost touch (see Fig. 3)therebymaintaining pulling engagement between the opposed faces of thebelts 56 and 58| and the opposite laces of 'kteethy each' shingle up tothe point of emergence from lanes longitudinally of the sheet. Forexample,

if the sheet be slitted to produce four shingles transversely thereof(as herein illustrated), there will be four groups of belts provided,one for each set of shingles a and d adjacent opposite edges of thesheet, and' one for each set of shingles b and c to the inside thereof.'I'he sheavesfor each group of belts are positioned at an elevationwhich is different from that of the others proximate thereto so as tocause the shingles supported between each group of belts to advancethrough a plane which is diverse to that of the travel of the nextadjacent line oi' shingles. In this manner the separation of theshingles from the sheet (and each other) is positively assisted by whatis, in effect. a shearing action.

'l'he discharge end of each group of delivery belts lies opposite aboard Il which is loosely rested in inclined position upona supportingrack IO. Each suchboard accordingly constitutes a delivery. station forone set of shingles, a, b,cordasthecase'maybe. Astheshingles areadvanced successively beyond the ends of the delivery belts, they droponto the inclined board of the proximate station and come to restagainst an adjustablestop l1. A stack of shingles is thus built upwhich,when of adesired size. may be removed for bundling.

In some cases itmay be desirable to locate some ofthe delivery stationsat points other than side by side. A tandem arrangement which provides aworking passageway between stations close to the machine and otherstations further removed therefrom is indicated in Fig. 9. For such anarrangement we provide an endless transmission belt Il extending betweenrolls 1I and`-12 withl other rolls 18 and 'Il supporting the vintermediate portion of the lower run of the belt at an-elevated level,and still other rolls 15 and Il doing the same for the upper run ofthebelt. Head room beneath this transmission belt is accordingly provided,permitting workmen to attend to the` delivery stations proximate to themachine lwithout interference.v Each transmission belt carries connectedshingles which are disposedinaselectedlaneofthesheettoadistant pointwhere we may provide upper and lower delivery'belts I1 and` 1l,respectively, with associated sheaves 'Il and Il, respectively, fordirectving the shingles upon inclined boards 8|.

, be maintained thereon at a point closer to the pulling rolls than thefeeding rolls,.then the idler mns may be shined in that direction. Theposition which the idler rolls should occupy may be determined byconditions, the object being to assure of a complete and cleanseparation oi' shingles from the sheet and from each other.

l. In a take-oi! mechanism for shingles severed from a sheet, thecombination o! a pair of grooved rolls through which the shingles areprocessionally advanced side by side, a plurality of upper and lowersheaves, adjustable swinging supports for the sheaves, upper and lowerdelivery belts extending around said rolls and sheaves adapted toreceive between them, and engage opposite faces of, a succession ofshingles, and an extensible strut with associated spring means inconnection with each sheave for maintaining the supported belt taut.

2. In a take-ofi' mechanism for shingles severed from a sheet, thecombination of a pair oi' grooved rolls through which the shingles areprocessionally advanced side by side, a plurality of upper and lowersheaves, upper and lower delivery belts extending around said rolls andsheaves adapted to receive between them, and engage opposite faces of, asuccession of shingles, an extensible strut with associated spring meansin connection with each sheave to maintain the supported belt taut, andmeans for supporting each sheave comprising a pivoted locking lever anda bar slidingly supported by said lever.

3. In a take-oil' mechanism for singles severed from a sheet, thecombination of a pair of grooved rolls through which the shingles areprocessionally advanced side by side, a plurality of upper and lowersheaves, upper and lower delivery belts extending around said rolls andsheaves adapted to receive between them, and engage opposite faces of, asuccession of shingles, an extensible strut with associated spring meansin connection with each sheave to maintain the supported belt taut, andmeans for supporting each Vsheave at a xed vertical point withoutaifecting the tautness of its supported belt.

4. In a take-oit mechanism for shingles severed from a sheet, thecombination of a pair of rolls through which the shingles areprocessionally advanced side by side, a plurality of upper and lowersheaves, adjustable swinging supports for the sheaves, upper and lowerdelivery belts extending around said rolls and sheaves adapted toreceive between them, and engage opposite faces of, a succession ofshingles, and an. extensible strut with associated spring means inconnection with each sheave for maintaining the supported belt. taut,the several sheave supports being independently adjustable whereby tovary the vertical position of each sheave and, in consequence thereof,the distance of separation between each pair oi' delivery belts.

5. In a take-off mechanism for shingles severed from a sheet, thecombination of a pair of rolls through which the shingles areprocessionally advanced side by side, a plurality of upper and lowersheaves, upper and lower delivery belts extending around said rolls andsheaves adapted to receive between them and engage opposite faces of, asuccession of shingles, an extensible strut with associated spring meansin connection with each sheave to maintain the supported belt taut, andmeans for supporting each sheave comprising a pivoted locking lever anda bar slidingly supported by said lever, the several sheave supportingmeans being independently adjustable whereby to vary the verticalposition of each sheave and. in consequence thereof, the distance ofseparation between each pair of delivery belts.

6. In a take-oi! mechanism for shingles severed from a sheet, thecombination of a pair of rolls through which the shingles areprocessionally advanced side by side, a plurality oi' upper and lowersheaves, upper and lower delivery belts extending around said rolls andsheaves adapted to receive between them, and engage opposite faces of, asuccession of shingles, an extensible strut with associated spring meansin connection with each sheave to maintain the supported belt taut, andmeans for supporting each sheave at a iixed vertical point without ai'-fecting the tautness of its supported jbelt, the several sheavesupporting means being independently adjustable whereby to varythe'vertical position of each sheave and, in consequence thereof, thedistance of separation between each pair of delivery belts.

7. In a take-oil' mechanism for shingles severed from a sheet, thecombination of a pair of rolls through which the shingles areprecessionally advanced side by side and, adjacent thereto, a pluralityof delivery belts arranged in pairs, one over the other, in such manneras to receive a succession of shingles between the lower run of theupper belt and the upper run of the lower belt for engagement thereby, asheave for each belt at a point remote from the rolls, and verticallyadjustable tension mounting for each sheave whereby to maintain itsassociated belt taut.

8. In a take-off mechanism for shingles severed from a sheet, thecombination of a pair of rolls through which the shingles areprecessionally advanced side by side and, adjacent thereto,

a. plurality of delivery belts arranged in pairs,

one over the other, in such manner as to receive a succession ofshingles between the lower run vof the upper belt and the upper run ofthe lower belt for engagement thereby, a sheave for each belt at a pointremote from the rolls, and a vertically adjustable tension mounting -foreach sheave whereby to maintain its associated belt taut, the severaltension mountings being independently adjustable whereby to vary thevertical position of each sheave and, in consequence thereof, thedistance oi' separation between each pair of delivery belts.

9. In a take-ofir mechanism for shingles severed from a sheet, thecombination of a pair of rolls through which the shingles areprocessionally advanced sde by side, means for adjusting the two rollsrelatively toward and from each other whereby to vary the distancetherebetween, a plurality oi endless delivery belts arranged in pairs,one over the other, each being extended over one of the two rolls insuch manner as to receive therefrom a succession of shingles between thelower run of the upper belt and the upper run of the lower belt forengagement thereby, a sheave for each belt at a point remote from therolls, a tension mounting for each sheave whereby to maintain itsassociated 4belt taut, and means for securing each sheave independentlyin a selected POsition of adjustment in a vertical plane whereby to varythe clearance between the adjacent runs of each pair of delivery beltsat the'discharge end thereof "and to change the inclination, eitherupwardly or downwardly, of the adjacent runs of each pair oi deliverybelts whereby to vary the elevational point of the discharge endthereof.

10. In a take-oil' mechanism for shingles severed from a' sheet, thecombination of a pair rolls through which the shingles areprocessionally advanced side by lside, means for adjusting the two rollsrelatively toward and from each other whereby to vary the distancetherebetween,

a plurality of endless delivery belts arranged in pairs, one 'over theother, each being extended over one of the two rolls in such manner asto receive therefrom a succession of shingles between the lower run ofthe upper belt and the upper run of the lower belt for engagementthereby, a sheave for each belt at a point remote from the rolls, apivoted vstrut affording a tension mounting for each sheave whereby 'tomaintain its associated belt taut, and means for securing each sheaveindependently in `a selected position of' adjustment in a vertical planewhereby to vary the clearance between the adjacent runs of each pair ofdelivery belts at the discharge end thereof and to change theinclination, either upwardly or downwardly, of the adjacentiruns of eachpair of delivery belts whereby to' vary the elevational point ofthe'dlscharge end thereof.

ll. In a take-ofi' mechanism for'shingles severed from a sheet, thecombination of a pair of rolls through which the shingles areprocessionally advanced side by side and, adjacent thereto, a pluralityof delivery belts arranged in pairs, one over the other, in such manneras to receive a succession of shingles between the lower runv of theupper belt and the upper run of the lower belt for'engagement thereby, asheave for each belt at a point remote from the rolls, means formaintaining each belt taut, and releasable locking means for each sheavecomprising two'members interconnected for pivoted sliding movementadapted to support the sheave at a selected vertical point.

12. In a take-o5 mechanism for shingles severed from a sheet,the'combination of a pair of rolls through which the, shingles areprocessionally advanced side by side and, adjacent thereto. a pluralityof delivery belts arranged in pairs, one over the other, in such manneras to receive a succession of shingles between the lower-run of theupper belt and the upper run of the lower belt for engagement thereby, asheave for each belt at a point vremote from the rolls, a mounting foreach sheavemovable' both vertically and toward and from its companionroll, means exerting a pressure toward the movable mounting in adirection away from its companion roll whereby to` maintain thesupported belt taut, and a releasable locking means for each sheavemounting adapted for the adjustable support thereof whereby to vary thevertical position of each sheave and, in consequence thereof, thedistance of separation between each pair oi delivery belts, the severalpairs of delivery belts being divergingly i adjustable, each independentof the others, in

vertical planes.

13. 'I'he combination of a take-ofi' mechanism for shingles .which aresevered from a slitted traveling sheet passing between two sets ofopposed feeding and pulling rolls, of a belt traveling between two setsof rollsin supporting engagement with the sheets, co-acting idler rollsbetween the sets of feeding and pulling rolls arranged respectivelyabove and below the sheet and supporting belt adapted to exert acompressive force thereupon, and 'an adjustable mounting for theco-acting idler rolls such that they may be shifted.

longitudinally of the sheet and its supporting belt toward or fromeither of the feeding or pulling rolls.

aims l j Y.

` i4. m 'a take-os mechanism miA shingles severed from a sheet, thecombination of a pairMbf cooperating pulling rolls through which theshingles are processionally advanced side by side, said rolls includinga plurality of upper and lower sheaves with pulling and delivery beltsextending aroimd said rolls and-sheaves, adapted lto engage 'asuccession of shingles between the opposed faces of the belts,vertically adjustably supporting means for each sheave whereby toposition each supported belt independent, and divergingly in respect, ofthe remaining belts and, in conse,- quence thereof, in a desired spacialrelation to the other belt in .the same pair, and means cooperating withthe discharge end of each belt for the transfer of shingles therefrom toa desired station.

l5. In a take-off mechanism for shingles severed -from a sheet, thecombination of a plurality of relatively wide endless conveyor beltshavingY upper runs all in a common plane and, spaced 1therefrom butproximate to the discharge end thereof, a pair ofrolls one above and theother below the line of advance of the upper run of the conveyor beltswhereby shingles carried thereon, side by side, are adapted to beprocessionally transferred therefrom, specially and without appreciablyexation, into the nip between the rolls, a plurality of upper and lowersheaves, relatively narrow upper and lower delivery belts extendingaround the upper and lower rolls and sheaves, respectively, adapted toreceive between them, and engage opposite faces of, a succession ofshingles, means for urging each sheave away from its companion rollwhereby to maintain the supported belt taut, and a support foreachsheave vertically adjustable independently of the remaining supportswhereby to raise or lower the discharge end of each pair of deliverybelts as well as to vary the distance of separation therebetween.

16. In a sheet feeding machine having a takeoff mechanism, thecombination of a plurality of side by side endless conveyor beltsconstituting one unit and, spaced therefrom but proximate to thedischarge end thereof, a-second unit comprising a pair of rolls oneabove and the other below the line of advance of the upper runof theconveyor belts whereby sheet material carried thereon is adapted to betransferred therefrom through space into the nip between the rolls, aplurality of upper and lower sheaves at points remote from the rolls, aplurality of pairs of upper and lower endless delivery belts extendingin straight runs between the upper and lower rolls and sheaves andtherearound, respectively,

adapted to receive between them, engage opposite faces of, and advancein a straight line, sheet -material received from the conveyor belts,means for urging each sheave away from its companion roll whereby tomaintain the supported belt taut,

` means supporting each sheave independently of the remaining sheavesadjustably at a selected elevational point in a manner whereby to raiseor lower the discharge end of each pair of delivery belts and to varythe distance of separation therebetween at such point, and means foradjusting the two rolls relatively towardv and from each other wherebyto vary the distance of separation between each pair of delivery beltsat a point oppo site -the discharge ends thereof to accommodate andadvance therebetween sheet material of a given thickness, the advance ofthe sheet material from beginning to end being in a straight successionof the loss shingles between opposedy faces of the belts, meanssupporting certain pairs of the belts and sheaves in divergent relationsto other pairs of the belts and sheaves, and means cooperating with thedischarge end of each belt for the transfer of shingles therefrom to adesired station.

OWEN D. MCFARLAND. ALFRED O. MICKELSON.

